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The 1986 is finally emerging from the dormant stage that many of the wines from this vintage (especially the Medocs) have been going through. It is a full-bodied, still backward wine that will appeal to classicists and old line traditionalists given its firm structure and austere tannins. Nevertheless, the color is a healthy deep garnet and the wine exhibits wonderful freshness along with notes of underbrush, damp earth, black currants, cedar and new saddle leather. Well-balanced with good depth, medium to full body, and a tannic (although not excessively so) finish, this may not be the most finesse-styled, elegant Lynch Bages ever produced, but it is an interesting Pauillac that will benefit from another 3-4 years of cellaring. While it may never hit the peaks achieved by great Lynch Bages vintages, it will be one of those rare wines that will last 40+ years.Robert Parker | 94 RP5.3 g/l total acidity; 13.1% alcohol): Garnet-tinged dark ruby-red. Black fruits, candied red cherry, licorice, minerals, cedar and iron on the complex, still-reticent nose. Then more approachable on the palate, displaying a lovely restrained sweetness to the blackberry and blueberry fruit and excellent lift and clarity from lively acidity and solid underlying minerality. The finish features noble, fine-grained tannins and subtle persistence. An unusually accessible 1986 but very typical of the fleshy Lynch-Bages personality, this boasts lovely concentration and sneaky depth. Very well done.Vinous Media | 93 VMDark in color, with intense aromas of ripe black cherry, cedar and light herbs. Medium- to full-bodied, with firm tannins and a medium finish. A bit lean today, but there’s lots going on here.--Lynch-Bages non-blind vertical. Drink now.Wine Spectator | 90 WS

The 1989 Haut-Bailly is drinking beautifully, offering up aromas of dark berry fruit mingled with burning embers, spices and cedar box. Medium to full-bodied, velvety and sumptuous, with a rich core of fruit, melting tannins and a long, penetrating finish, it’s a broad, supple wine of immense charm and character.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 94 RPGorgeous wine, so well crafted. Good dark-ruby color. Aromas of cherry, spice and cocoa. Full-bodied, firmly tannic and a long finish of fruit and tannins. Needs time to mellow.--1989 Bordeaux horizontal.Wine Spectator | 92 WSThe 1989 Haut Bailly is a vintage that I have tasted several times, and one of my picks from the pre-Wilmers era despite some bottle variation. This is a good example, displaying quite a muted nose initially, but unfolding to reveal lovely sandalwood and sage aromas. It is much more rustic compared to the same wine nowadays, yet seductive. The palate of blackberry, black olives and cracked black pepper is quite harmonious, with satisfying depth, and after three decades, it continues to show commendable energy. While it lacks a little length, this remains a delightful Haut Bailly. Tasted at a private dinner in London.Vinous Media | 91 VM

A beautiful wine, with layers of ripe fruit, berry, cedar, vanilla and light spice. Full-bodied, with silky tannins and a long finish. Very, very classy stuff.--’95/’96 Bordeaux retrospective. Best after 2008.Wine Spectator | 94 WSSomewhat closed and reticent after bottling, but still impressive, this 1995 possesses a dark ruby/purple color, as well as an oaky nose with classic scents of cassis, vanillin, cedar, and spice. Dense and medium to full-bodied, with softer tannin and more accessibility than the 1996, but not quite the packed and stacked effect on the palate, the 1995 is an outstanding textbook St.-Julien that will handsomely repay extended cellaring. Anticipated maturity: 2004-2025.Robert Parker | 91 RPVery good ruby-red. Currant, tobacco, game and roasted nuts on the expressive nose. Full, supple and sweetly oaky. Also wears its oak more gracefully. Very long on the finish, with ripe, tongue-coating tannins.Vinous Media | 91 VM

Another excellent year, the 1995 and 1996 vintage have definitely held up in colour and structure. The 1995 perhaps has the markings of a slightly hotter year in terms of the fruit ripeness, which veers towards fig, although there is still that unremitting sense of a wine that delivers layer upon layer of succulent soft fruits as you travel through the palate, buoyed up by a clear freshness. This wine is an example of what makes this appellation world class. Drinking Window 2018 - 2030Decanter | 93 DECBlack licorice and currants on the nose. Very fragrant. Full-bodied, with chewy tannins and a long finish. Still needs time to come together.--’95/’96 Bordeaux retrospective. Best after 2008.Wine Spectator | 92 WSWhile not as backward as the 1996, the opaque purple-colored 1995 is a tannic, unevolved, dense, concentrated wine that will require 8-10 years of cellaring. The 1995 exhibits pain grille, blackcurrant, mineral, and subtle tobacco in its complex yet youthful aromatics. Powerful, dense, concentrated cassis and blueberry flavors might be marginally softer than in the 1996, but there is still plenty of grip and structure to this big wine. Anticipated maturity: 2005-2030.Robert Parker | 90 RPDeep ruby-red. Bright, enticing aromas of redcurrant, minerals and tobacco; not quite as ripe as the ’96. Lovely sweetness and clarity of flavor in the mouth. More supple than the ’96, and likely to be approachable much earlier. Finishes with substantial, tongue-coating tannins.Vinous Media | 90 VM

Fabulous nose of crushed currants, blackberries and forest flowers. Full-bodied, with plenty of ripe fruit and silky tannins. This is really holding back.--'95/'96 Bordeaux retrospective. Best after 2010. 23,000 cases made.Wine Spectator | 94 WSThe 1995 Pontet-Canet has shed some of its astringency and now appears to be the qualitative equivalent to the terrific, classic 1994. The fruit is sweeter and jammier, and the new oak more prominent in the 1995. This opaque purple-colored wine is medium to full-bodied, concentrated, layered, and long in the finish. I would not be surprised to see the 1995 edge out the brilliant 1994 in 15-20 years. Anticipated maturity: 2004-2025. Last tasted 1/97Robert Parker | 93 RPDark ruby-red. Black- and redcurrants and smoke on the nose; less oak-spicy today than the '96. Silky and harmonious but currently rather withdrawn. Not quite as sweet as the '96. Here the substantial toothcoating tannins come across as somewhat tougher, but there enough sheer extract for balance. Interestingly, this backward, rather powerful wine suggests the structure and grip of cabernet, while the silkier mouth feel of the '96 suggests a high percentage of merlot.Vinous Media | 90+ VM

(Château Lagrange) The 1996 Lagrange is a deep, pure and beautifully made vintage for this property. The bouquet is complex and classy, as it offers up a lovely mélange of pure black cherries, a touch of plum pudding, tobacco, fresh herb tones, a lovely base of soil and a touch of toasty oak. On the palate the wine is full-bodied, long and rock solid at the core, with a suave personality, ripe, well-integrated tannins, sound acids and fine grip on the long, palate-staining finish. This will be a terrific Lagrange in due course. (Drink between 2015-2050).John Gilman | 93+ JGThe 1996 Lagrange has long been my favourite vintage from the 1990s. It was picked from 26 September to 11 October. This is a level up in quality over the previous vintage with far more delineation and complexity: blackberry, wild hedgerow, sandalwood and light dried blood aromas. The palate is fully matured with firm tannin, but sufficient fruit to back it up. This is well balanced with plenty of freshness, tart cherries, allspice and light Moroccan spice notes on the harmonious and persistent finish. Excellent. Tasted at the Lagrange vertical at the estate.Vinous Media | 92 VMWonderful aromas of blackberry, light spices and currant follow through to a full-bodied palate, with chewy tannins and a long finish. Still tannic and tight.--'95/'96 Bordeaux retrospective. Best after 2008. 24,000 cases made.Wine Spectator | 91 WSThis impeccably run, Japanese-owned property has fashioned a superb 1996. Opaque purple-colored, with a backward yet promising nose of classically pure cassis intermixed with pain grille and spice, this medium to full-bodied, powerful yet stylish wine possesses superb purity, a nicely-layered feel in the mouth, and plenty of structure. It will not be an early-drinking St.-Julien, but one to lay away and enjoy over the next 2-3 decades. Anticipated maturity: 2006-2022.Robert Parker | 90 RP

The colour is starting to take on the brick-edged ruby that fully mature Bordeaux reaches and retains for decades in the best cases. Freshness is still very much in play, along with tobacco, cigar box and eucalyptus. 1996 was a brilliant vintage in the Médoc and it shows. This is a near perfect 20-year-old Bordeaux; there is the generous signature of Léoville Poyferré wine but at this point St-Julien balance and finesse has taken over, just relax and enjoy the results. Drinking Window 2018 - 2035Decanter | 95 DECThis fabulous 1996 was tasted three times from bottle, and it is unquestionably the finest wine produced by this estate since their blockbuster 1990. Medium to full-bodied, with a saturated black/purple color, the nose offers notes of cedar, jammy black fruits, smoke, truffles, and subtle new oak. In the mouth, there is impressive fruit extraction, a tannic, full-bodied structure, and a classic display of power and finesse. The longer it sat in the glass, the more impressive the wine became. Backward, and massive in terms of its extract and richness, this should prove to be a sensational Leoville-Poyferre for drinking over the next three decades. Anticipated maturity: 2007-2028.Robert Parker | 93 RPBlackberry, mineral and citrus fruit aromas. Full-bodied, with slightly angular tannins, but fruity, with a pleasant tobacco undertone on the finish. Just coming around.--’95/’96 Bordeaux retrospective. Best after 2007.Wine Spectator | 90 WS

The second bottle, from an estate I know like the back of my hand, was the 1996 Pontet Canet. One or two people had suggested that this might be past its best; after all, it predates the innovations and application of biodynamics overseen by Alfred Tesseron by several years. On the contrary, it has aged beautifully. Cedar, scorched earth and mint blossomed on a nose that is firmly into its secondary phase, yet laden with more fruit than expected considering both its age and the austere style of Left Bank 1996s. The palate might be nearing the end of its drinking plateau, so don’t hold back if you own a few bottles. But I admired its balance and density, its structure and classicism, and the typical Pauillac traits of cedar and a touch of mint toward the finish. I savored it down to the last drop.Vinous Media | 93 VMI was shocked by how backward the 1996 Pontet-Canet was on the three occasions I tasted it in January. This wine possesses superb potential, but it appears a decade's worth of patience will be necessary. The color is a saturated dark purple. With coaxing, the wine offers aromas of black currant jam intertwined with minerals, sweet oak, and spice. A full-bodied wine, it possesses layered, concentrated, sweet fruit, with an elevated level of ripe tannin. Anticipated maturity: 2010-2035.Robert Parker | 92 RPAromas of black licorice, currant and toasted oak. Full-bodied, with silky, refined tannins and a medium finish. Holding back still.--'95/'96 Bordeaux retrospective. Best after 2008.Wine Spectator | 91 WS

Yields of 28-30 hectoliters per hectare are among the lowest in St.-Emilion, which no doubt accounts for the wine’s explosive richness. The final blend, 60% Merlot, 30% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 10% Cabernet Franc, was bottled unfined and unfiltered after 18 months in 100% new oak, with aging on the lees.It boasts a saturated plum/purple color in addition to an exotic bouquet of Asian spices, plum liqueur, prunes, and blackberries. Extremely full-bodied, unctuously-textured, structured, and well-defined, this spectacular achievement will drink well young, yet last for two decades. Anticipated maturity: 2003-2020.Robert Parker | 94 RPA full-throttle, jammy red, with lots of coffee, raisin and spice character on both nose and palate. Full-bodied, with big, velvety tannins and a long, rich finish. Not much in elegance here, but opulent and impressive. Still needs time.--’88/’98 Bordeaux blind retrospective (2008). Best after 2012. 7,000 cases made.Wine Spectator | 91 WS

No written review provided | 92 W&SThe 1999 Léoville Poyferré is a wine that I always enjoyed, though I have not tasted it for the last 10 years. The bouquet has mellowed in the interim, though it retains seductive, almost effervescent red fruit mixed with undergrowth, hung game, fresh mint and pine aromas. The palate is medium-bodied with a menthol-tinged opening. This feels smooth but quite high-toned, that mintiness continuing right to the finish. Maybe in recent years it has dispensed with some of its structure and depth, but it remains a finely crafted Saint-Julien going strong at 20 years of age. Tasted from an ex-château bottle at the estate.Vinous Media | 91 VM

No written review provided. | 92 W&SThe stunning1999 Pape Clement is a blend of 54% Cabernet Sauvignon and 46% Merlot. The wine is performing better from bottle than it did from cask. There is a fabulous bouquet of smoke, blueberries, raspberry cassis, and liquid minerals. This is a medium to full-bodied, layered, concentrated wine with no hard edges. As it sat in the glass, additional aromas of cedar wood, graphite, and cigar smoke emerged. This is a classic, sexy, knock-out Pessac-Leognan with a surprisingly dense, rich style for a 1999. Anticipated maturity: 2003-2018.Robert Parker | 91 RP

Tasted blind at Bordeaux Index’s 2000 tasting in London. An open-knit, more leathery nose than its peers, touches of mulberry, dried orange peel, graphite and even a tang of marmalade. The palate is medium-bodied with firm tannins, masculine and dense, real backbone again here, a wine in for the long-haul. Blackberry, allspice, hoi sin and a touch of white pepper towards the long but bashful finish. This needs another 5-6 years but it is finally realizing the promise it showed in barrel Drink 2015-2030. Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 92 RP-NM(31.5 g/l dry extract; 13.4% alcohol): Deep ruby to the rim; much darker than both the 2001 and the 2003. Notes of milk chocolate, underbrush and cedar complicate the ripe red cherry and dark plum aromas. Enters sweet, dense and tactile, displaying ripe dark fruit, tobacco, porcini and mineral flavors of noteworthy precision and cut thanks to harmonious acidity. Finishes sweet, spicy, smooth and very long; once again, du Tertre comes across as remarkably fresh and focused in a hot vintage.Vinous Media | 92 VMLoads of tobacco and prune character. Rich and decadent. Full body with velvety tannins and a juicy, delicious finish. Just opening now. Improving with age.James Suckling | 91 JS

From magnum, a youthful colour, reflecting slow evolution. Aromas of cedar, lead pencil, roasted and primary fruit. Fine grained, noticeable tannin. Excellent balance of power and smooth texture. Noé Tesseron described it as ’older school Pauillac’, and I liked it a lot. Long finish. Aged 60% new oak. (Drink between 2021-2045)Decanter | 95 DECUpgraded in score over my original rating, which was several points lower, Alfred Tesseron has done a remarkable job since 1994 with Pontet-Canet, which has been hitting first-growth levels since 2003. But the 2000 also shows exceptionally well. In need of another decade of cellaring, this dense purple wine has a classic nose of incense, charcoal, creme de cassis, and subtle new oak. Full-bodied, powerful, still very tannic, and shockingly backward, this is a big, rich wine that has put on weight and seems to need more time than I originally predicted. Anticipated maturity: 2015-2035+.Robert Parker | 94+ RPI drank this fabulous 2000 Pontet-Canet in Hong Kong last summer at home with family. It was a wonderfully complex wine that was really starting to show its best. On the nose it displayed tar and currants with hints of dried fruits and berries. It was full-bodied yet so refined and delicious at the same time.James Suckling | 94 JSDeep red-ruby. Explosive nose combines raspberry, roasted currant, grilled nuts and exotic spices. Rich, sexy, silky and full in the mouth, with expressive flavors of black raspberry, game, smoke and truffle. Finishes with strong but suave tannins and excellent length. St. JulienVinous Media | 93 VMA lovely lead-in of singed cedar and vanilla notes gives way to slightly taut, racy red and black currant fruit flavors that drive nicely through an iron-edged finish. Rather sleek and tightly focused, relying more on minerality than power.—Blind 2000 Bordeaux retrospective (December 2015). Drink now through 2023. 2,330 cases made.Wine Spectator | 92 WSThis is a very modern style of wine, with generous new wood and super-ripe fruit flavors, balancing with polished solid tannins. Very international in style, it is good, but could come from anywhere.Wine Enthusiast | 90 WE

The 2001 Calon-Ségur has a delightful bouquet, very pure and a little more vivacious than the preceding vintage, featuring lovely brambly red fruit, rose petals, autumn leaves and a touch of cigar box, all well defined and focused. The palate is medium-bodied with supple tannins, a little more cohesive than the 2000, and slightly granular in texture, with a graceful, elegant and quite persistent finish. This is one of the few châteaux where it’s difficult to choose between the 2001 and 2000. Drinking perfectly now.Vinous Media | 94 VM(Château Calon-Ségur) The 2001 Calon-Ségur was comprised of fully forty-seven percent merlot, which is too bad, as it might have been even finer with a higher percentage of cabernet sauvignon in the blend. That said, this is a very strong bottle from this era and I have little doubt that it will ultimately surpass the more highly-touted, but currently far more closed 2000 vintage at this property. The bouquet offers up a very promising blend of red and black cherries, cigar smoke, dried eucalyptus, gravel, cigar ash and cedary wood. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied and nascently complex, with a classic claret profile, firm, ripe tannins, excellent focus and balance and a very long, youthful and potentially superb finish. This should prove to be one of the strongest vintages produced in the more merlot-centric style at Calon-Ségur during the stretch from 1975 to 2005. (Drink between 2022-2050).John Gilman | 92 JGShowing beautifully, the 2001 Calon-Segur is now fully mature, yet should hold at this stage for another decade or two. Beautiful currants and assort dark fruits, notes of lead pencil, tobacco, and forest floor, medium to full body, and integrated, silky tannins all define this elegant 2001 that’s a joy to drink today. It’s not going to get any better, but it’s a beautifully regal Claret that offers loads of pleasure.Jeb Dunnuck | 91 JDI suspect this 2001 will shut down (as most young Calon-Segurs do), although it appears more forward and evolved than the huge, backward, but totally dormant 2000. The plum/ruby-colored 2001 reveals aromas of damp earth, cranberries, cherries, herbs, and forest floor. While lighter than its older sibling, it is medium-bodied, elegant, and should emerge from its post-bottling sleep in 4-5 years, and drink well for 14-15. Think of it as a lighter-weight 1988 (one of the stars of the vintage).Robert Parker | 90 RPElegant and spicy, with blackberry and earth character. Medium- to full-bodied, with silky tannins and a medium to long finish. Not quite up to par with the barrel sample, but outstanding. Best after 2006.Wine Spectator | 90 WS

What a perfumed, elegant, structured wine, with all the elements of fruit, wood, tannins just in the right place. It shows great tannins, powerful black and red berry fruits, denseness, and a classic, fresh aftertaste.Wine Enthusiast | 94 WEA dense and decadent wine with chocolate, currant and licorice aromas and flavors. Medium to full body, firm tannins and a fresh finish. A beautiful wine now. It shows the finesse and class of an aged Bordeaux.James Suckling | 93 JSThe 2001 Gruaud Larose has a much more vivacious bouquet than the millennial Gruaud, featuring vibrant black cherry and raspberry fruit, pressed iris, light peaty scents and a touch of tobacco that emerges with time. There is more delineation here compared to the 2000. The palate is medium-bodied with fine-boned tannins and touches of soy borrowed from the previous vintage, yet there is more depth and delineation toward the finish.Vinous Media | 92 VMThis shows a rich and dense nose of blackberry, coffee and smoke. Full-bodied, with soft and round tannins and a long, smoky finish. Very fresh and velvety. GL is really doing excellent things these days, even in less-than-easy vintages. Best after 2008. 2,455 cases made.Wine Spectator | 92 WSSurprisingly accessible as well as supple, this 2001 St.-Julien reveals a deep plum/purple color along with a rich bouquet of smoke, roasted vegetables, black currants, plums, licorice, and Asian spices. Velvety-textured and medium-bodied, with loads of fruit, and a plump, expansive, plush texture, this is an atypically forward Gruaud Larose to drink now and over the next 12-14 years.Robert Parker | 90 RP

This estate continues to merit substantial praise. Let’s hope in the upcoming revised Classification of the Wines of St.-Emilion, Troplong Mondot merits elevation to Premier Grand Cru Classe, which it has deserved for some time. Not far off the pace of the spectacular 2000, the 2001 is performing even better from bottle than it was from cask. A gorgeous perfume of plum jam, creme de cassis, flowers, licorice, black fruits, a hint of graphite, and well-integrated wood notes is followed by a medium to full-bodied St.-Emilion with superb texture, great flavor purity, and tremendous harmony as well as elegance. Remarkably approachable despite its impressive concentration and well-concealed tannin, this is a beauty. Anticipated maturity: 2006-2017.Robert Parker | 93 RPThe 2001 Troplong Mondot, which is almost entirely Merlot, has a little more amplitude and personality on the nose than the previous vintage, offering a mélange of red and black fruit, blood orange and a sprinkling of white pepper. The palate is medium-bodied with fine-grained tannins and crisp acidity. It tightens up in the glass, turning slightly powdery in texture, and delivers dark cherries, sloe and fig with good persistence. Like the 2000, this is quite precocious and forward, but it shows more tension and complexity toward the finish. Still solid after two decades, this should be decanted or left for another 5­–7 years in bottle.Vinous Media | 92 VMThis is a dark and rich red with lovely spice, berry and dark chocolate character. Slightly overextracted, but there is a good core of fruit and silky tannins. Give it time in the bottle. I like it as much as the 2000, though it’s slightly sleeker in style. Best after 2007. 5,415 cases made.Wine Spectator | 91 WS

An undeniable success as well as a candidate for the Graves of the vintage in 2002, the 2002 Pape Clement boasts a deep ruby/purple color in addition to notes of smoke, hot bricks, scorched earth, red and black currants, and some high-class cigar tobacco. It is medium to full-bodied with a rich, textured mouthfeel, wonderful sweetness, ripeness of tannin, and a long finish with hints of plums, licorice, and subtle barrique. It should drink well for 15-18 years. No property in Bordeaux is pushing the envelope of quality as hard and as enthusiastically as proprietor Bernard Magrez’s Chateau Pape Clement. This is a fabulous terroir in the suburbs of Bordeaux, several miles from the area’s two legends - Haut-Brion and La Mission Haut-Brion.Robert Parker | 93 RPA hugely toasty wine, one that tastes more like a California Chardonnay than a blend of Sauvignon, Semillon and Muscadelle. It works, because it is a great, rich wine, with balanced, ripe fruit, acidity and crisp fruit flavors. Wine Enthusiast | 92 WEMedium red-ruby. Black raspberry, mocha, tobacco and nutty oak aromas. Suave, silky and full, with complex flavors of raspberry, minerals, gravel and woodsmoke. Unusually plump for the vintage, yet also firmly built and quite primary. An excellent showing.Vinous Media | 91 VM

Dense aromas of licorice, tobacco, cedar and currants. Subtle yet complex. Full-bodied, with silky tannins and a rich, long finish. Very pretty. One of the best from Pauillac this year, and clearly better than 2001. One of the surprises of the vintage. Best after 2008. 20,000 cases made.Wine Spectator | 93 WSBlack fruits and cherry interlaced with pleasant notes of mint, anise, and truffles. On the palate, the fine, precise tannic structure seems quite delicate but provides excellent length on the finish. This provides another example of stylistic evolution toward greater precision along the lines of that of the 2001, possessing as these two wines do both vivacity and weightlessness on the finish. Even if this bottle has reached its apogee, it remains very elegant. (Drink between 2022-2030)Decanter | 92 DEC

The warmth of the year comes through in a fatter more velvety texture than you find in many Haut-Baillys, and in its clearly generous autumnal berry fruit, deep black pepper, liquorice and saffron spice. All this is set alongside pulsing aromatics, and a juicy finish that shows the fruit was ripe but not overripe. Excellent, easy to recommend in what was a challenging vintage where terroir absolutely shone through. Drinking Window 2020 - 2038.Decanter | 93 DECThe warm vintage of 2003 gives this loads of fruit, like raspberries and strawberry jam. Full-bodied and very fresh with soft, round tannins. A long and yummy wine. Delicious now but please wait to pull the cork until at least 2013.James Suckling | 93 JSI remember being worried about how well the 2003 Haut-Bailly would turn out, but it has aged beautifully. Made from a final blend of 56% Cabernet Sauvignon, 38% Merlot and 6% Cabernet Franc, it currently offers fresh tobacco leaf, red and black currant notes, and hints of burning embers and charcoal. Having put on weight over the last eleven years, it is more complete and fuller than I expected. Enjoy this pretty, luscious, fully mature 2003 over the next decade.Robert Parker | 91 RP

Troplong Mondot’s 2003 is a brilliant success in this vintage, largely because of the limestone soils and incredibly low yields. There are nearly 70 acres of vines in production, yields were tiny, and the harvest was early. Nevertheless, there is an opulence and youthfulness in this wine that suggest it has at least a decade of life left. A luxurious effort with high glycerin, loads of blueberry, mulberry, black currant, licorice and charcoal ember-like notes, full body, low acidity and sweet tannin, this beauty is close to full maturity and can be drunk now as well as over the next decade.Robert Parker | 94 RPRed-ruby. Sappy aromas of very ripe redcurrant, tobacco and minerals. Fat, sexy and deep, with flavors of redcurrant, plum, tobacco and spice lifted by the wine’s mineral component. Wonderfully rich, full-blown wine, finishing with serious toothcoating tannins that call for at least four or five years of patience. This is close to 14% alcohol, but even this vintage of Troplong-Mondot has more acidity than the 1990.Vinous Media | 92 VMBeautiful plum, berry and raspberry aromas follow through to a full-bodied palate, with refined tannins and a long, caressing finish. Very nicely done. Best after 2009. 3,915 cases made.Wine Spectator | 91 WS

As so often, Léoville-Barton stands out for its style and elegance. With fresh fruit and acidity allied to generous tannins, it sums up the character of the 2004 vintage. Very classic in Bordeaux terms: not hugely powerful, but delicious.Wine Enthusiast | 94 WEThis is an impressively endowed vin de garde that should age effortlessly for 20-30 years. How Anthony Barton continues to fashion uncompromisingly primordial Bordeaux that are always among the biggest and densest of all the St.-Juliens is beyond me, but he does it year in and year out. Moreover, when it’s time to set the price, he appears to have the consumer foremost in his mind. The 2004 is a classic Leoville-Barton meant for long aging. Concentrated, with loads of smoke, creme de cassis, forest floor, and earthy notes emerge from this impressive, but oh, so backward wine. Anticipated maturity: 2015-2030+.Robert Parker | 92+ RPBright red-ruby. Deep aromas of black raspberry, black cherry, leather, smoke and flowers. Dense but juicy, with lovely finesse and flavor intensity. Notes of mocha, chocolate and leather linger nicely on the lively finish, which features substantial but rather fine tannins. This is excellent.Vinous Media | 91 VMCurrant and dark chocolate, with hints of mineral. Full-bodied, with silky tannins and a long, caressing finish. Balanced. A more delicate and refined style. Best after 2011. 21,250 cases made.Wine Spectator | 91 WSPowerful minerality runs through this wine, wrapping the primary flavors of blueberries into blackness. There’s also an herbal edge, the scent of rosemary cutting through the fruit. More extracted and showing more oak than Bartons of times past, this is structured to age two decades from the vintage.Wine and Spirits | 90 W&S

Along with Leoville Las Cases and a few others, this is among the stars of the appellation. Made in a more floral, supple, Margaux-like style, the deep ruby/purple-hued 2004 Leoville Poyferre exhibits sweet, broad flavors, and plenty of tannin lurking beneath the surface. However, the abundant cherry, black currant, licorice, and smoke notes obscure the tannic clout. This rich, powerful, broad beauty should be drinkable in 2-3 years, and last for two decades.Robert Parker | 93 RPA powerfully extracted wine, which almost—but not quite—submerges what is a fresh, fruity layer. The new wood that goes with the extraction is obvious at this stage in the wine’s development, but that cassis fruit will bring out the freshness later.Wine Enthusiast | 93 WEClear leather and autumnal hedgerow aromatics, showcasing soft bramble fruits and full of life and character. After a slow start, the 2004 vintage is starting to stretch its wings and show some real character. This is a wine that surpasses its vintage, as you might expect from the producer. It was an abundant vintage with high yields, which perhaps explain why it is showing the beginning of tertiary character and less concentration to the fruit, but no doubt it will stay put at this moment of evolution for a long while. Drinking Window 2018 - 2034Decanter | 92 DECVery clean, with blackberry, currant and light vanilla aromas. Full and juicy, with chewy tannins and a long finish. Impressive despite a slightly hollow midpalate. Wait and see as this grows in the bottle. May be a bit overextracted this year. Best after 2011. 20,830 cases made.Wine Spectator | 90 WS

This one of my favorite 2004 Bordeaux to drink at the moment. It shows lovely sweet tobacco, flowers and currants on the nose and palate. It’s full-to-medium-bodied, with silky, firm tannins and a spicy, fresh finish. So delicious now.James Suckling | 93 JSTasted at the château, the 2004 Montrose is a blend of 64% Cabernet Sauvignon, 32% Merlot, 3% Cabernet Franc and 1% Petit Verdot picked between 24 September and 15 October. It has a foursquare but precise bouquet that unfolds in the glass to offer brambly red berry fruit, tar, undergrowth and cedar aromas. There is a touch of mint that emerges with aeration. The palate is medium-bodied with tannins that gently grip. It is more savory than other vintages: hints of bacon fat and bell pepper towards the harmonious finish that lingers nicely in the mouth. Probably earlier drinking that other vintages, yet this Montrose has personality and will give drinking pleasure for 15-20 years. Tasted September 2016.Robert Parker Neal Martin | 92 RP-NMDark-colored, with beautiful spice, blackberry and licorice aromas. Full-bodied, round and velvety, with wonderful balance and a long, long finish. This is a Montrose that caresses your palate. Best after 2011. 26,665 cases made.Wine Spectator | 92 WSDeep, bright ruby-red. Sexy, ripe aromas of currant, black plum, raspberry, smoked meat, mocha, jasmine, black olive and earth. Smooth in texture but vinous and bright, with a penetrating character to the flavors of plum, currant, mocha and tobacco. Finishes bright and fresh, with dusty, tactile tannins and a classic St. Estephe medicinal note. This tightened up with aeration.Vinous Media | 91 VM This is a modern take on Montrose, which for years had been one of the stodgiest of the great Médocs. The wine has the intensity this vineyard often gives, black as indigo ink and concentrated, but without excess weight. Instead of stolid, the tannins feel luscious and sweet, riper and softer than the classical profile of Montrose. The complexity and foresty freshness is there to develop over the course of a decade or more.Diageo Château & Estate Wines, NYWine & Spirits | 91 W&SFine concentration of red and black fruits on the nose – a very good natural intensity and depth. Moderate tannins give some structure, leading to a medium to intense finish. A classic Médoc. Drinking Window 2014 - 2022Decanter | 90 DEC

The 2004 Pavie-Macquin is not especially complex or nuanced, but it is exquisitely delicious and also a fabulous choice for drinking now and over the next few years. Leather, spice, chocolate and licorice fill out the layers effortlessly. More than anything else, the 2004 is a wine of total pleasure.Antonio Galloni | 94 AGAromas and flavors of warm plum cake, violet, red licorice, blackberry coulis and cherry preserves glide seamlessly along here, with just a light underscoring of alder adding texture. Features a very fine-grained finish, with lovely minerality that extends nicely. A beautiful wine.--Non-blind Pavie Macquin vertical (December 2014). Drink now through 2025. 4,165 cases made. Wine Spectator | 94 WSA noble, complex nose of flowers, beef blood, black currants, licorice, and truffles reveals surprising evolution. The full-bodied, powerful wine exhibits stunning concentration, beautiful richness, sweet tannin, and a long finish. A blend of 75% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Franc, and 5% Cabernet Sauvignon (all from a bio-dynamically farmed vineyard), the 2004 Pavie-Macquin is another dazzling success from the brilliant winemaking team of Stephane Derenoncourt and Nicolas Thienpont.Robert Parker | 93 RPNow fully mature and drinking nicely, the 2004 Saint-Emilion reveals a healthy ruby hue to go with classic Saint-Emilion notes of currants, white truffles, dried tobacco, and cedary herbs. With medium-bodied richness and impressive overall balance, it has solid sweetness of fruit, integrated tannins, and a great finish. This is just a classic, classy expression of this vineyard to enjoy over the coming decade or so.Jeb Dunnuck | 93 JD

An absolutely sensational second wine from Haut-Brion, the 2005 Bahans Haut-Brion displays all the smoke, gravel and chocolate notes along with ripe black fruits. Broad, savory, rich and lush, this is a sensational wine (now called Le Clarence) with gorgeous texture and length. Drink it over the next 10-15 years.Robert Parker | 93 RPThe 2005 Bahans Haut-Brion is the second wine from Haut-Brion, known today as Le Clarence. A huge, virile red, the 2005 exudes intensity from start to finish. Black cherry, plum, smoke, tobacco, gravel and cured meats blast across the palate. The wine’s richness, heft and power are truly remarkable. Today, the 2005 comes across as shockingly young. This heady, exotic Pessac-Léognan has much to offer. It’s price naturally reflects its position as a second wine to a First Growth, yet the 2005 is a serious wine that has a ton to offer.Antonio Galloni | 93 AGSoft and balanced, showing lovely velvety tannins and lots of coffee, chocolate, toasty oak and mushroom character, with bright fruit underneath. Full-bodied, round and unctuous. Best after 2013. 9,580 cases made.Wine Spectator | 92 WSThe second wine of Château Haut-Brion is firm, mirroring its grand vin. It is dark, brooding and dense, rounded by ripe fruits. There is also an edge of bitter chocolate that offers an intriguing counterpoint to the elegance of the fruit.Wine Enthusiast | 92 WE